Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing an unknown character, pattern, or indicia, or the like as being a particular one of a group of known reference characters, patterns, indicia, or the like. In the preferred embodiment, the system converts scanned and digitized MICR data and uses it to identify the character. The reference characters and the unknown character are Fourier Transformed and various corrections are made for eliminating the absolute amplitude difference from the recognition process, while simultaneously providing a method of correcting for position differences between the reference charcter and the unknown character. Provisions are made for weighting the phase differences proportional to the expected accuracy of the phase data to minimize the effects of noise on the measurement, and for combining the amplitude and phase data to define a single 'best match' criteria for the unknown character. The input data is stored in memory and later converted to real and imaginary frequency components through the Fourier Transform process. The real and imaginary parts are converted to amplitude and phase as a function of frequency and both the amplitude and the phase data are corrected for position errors and the like. They are then compared to a set of amplitude and phase data for the group of standard known characters. The particular one of the known reference characters which is closest to the transform of the unknown character is designated as the 'best match'. The second minimum is located, and the percentage that the best match is better than the second best match is used to determine a margin of error criteria.

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First Claim